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Operations Director Boosts Company Performance Over 10 Years

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Tom Holden, Rose Chauffeured Transportation’s director of operations, who moved to Charlotte from southern New Jersey in 1994, has spent a decade at the North Carolina operation. He watched the company grow from $1.2 million in 2002 to more than $8 million this year.

H.A. Thompson, owner and CEO of Rose, said in a statement: “Tom’s attention to detail, driven nature and direct communication style have played an instrumental role in the growth of our organization. We wouldn’t be where we are without him.”

Tom Holden, who is now director of operations for Charlotte-based Rose Chauffeured Transportation, began his career with the company as a chauffeur on nights and weekends. After a company-hired consultant identified his potential, Holden moved into an office and has been helping the company grow ever since.

However, it wasn’t always obvious that Holden would be leading the company, as he was nearly passed over for an entry-level job he applied for at Rose in 2002. He had just left a seven-year position as general manager for a family-owned manufacturing company in Charlotte, and was ready for a break from the fast pace of management. He happened to pass by Rose Chauffeured Transportation’s garage and decided it would be fun to drive on nights and weekends.

Holden was greeted by Andy Thompson, vice president of sales, who told Holden he’d give him a call if there were any openings. It wasn’t until six months later that Holden got the call.

Driving a vehicle suited Holden just fine, but life had other plans. In 2004, consultant Charles Tenney came to work with Rose, and one of the first things he did was interview all of the drivers. After speaking with Holden for half an hour, “You’re spinning your wheels here. You need to be working inside,” he said.

“Next thing I knew, there was a desk for me in the office,” Holden said in a prepared statement.

Holden manages operations throughout the company. During his tenure, he has supported growth from 30 employees to 130; from 5,000 sq. ft. to 26,000 sq. ft., and a fleet size of 50 vehicles. He said he will be at the company for at least the next 10 years and looks forward to seeing how much larger the company can grow.